In defence of politicians

and yes, I am aware of quite possibly losing most of my readers but it has to be said.

Over the course of my less than illustrious career I have had the (mis/good)fortune to work with hundreds of politicians. Sometimes  contact has been fleeting. It may have been nothing more than a letter setting out a problem or an issue which needed attention. Often that letter will have been written for someone else. They have signed it and sent it. When they have received a reply they have often called on me to help them take the required action. I have often gone with someone to meet their local member of parliament as they try to sort out a problem or helped them with further correspondence or, at the request of an individual, added my own letter. I have written letters for the illiterate, for people who cannot write in English although they can in their own language, for people who have severe communication issues, and much more. 

No, there isn't anything very remarkable about this. It has been part of my job to do just that. More than one MP's secretary has phoned me and asked if I can write a letter for someone. I have written letters for politicians to edit and send out for themselves. Politicians like paper correspondence. Their secretaries keep track of it for them. There isn't any doubt about what has been said. It can't be doctored the way emails can be doctored - and yes, emails do have strange things happen to them.

And through all this I have discovered that most politicians do actually work very hard. It isn't a 9-5 sort of job.  It's more a 6am-10pm sort of job - or even later - and all too often for seven days a week.  They live in fear of making mistakes, of having to fight the next election, of what will happen if they lose their seat, of not being able to meet the most urgent needs of their electorate and much more. 

And they get criticised - almost constantly. I have been guilty of doing that myself. I have complained about the way that things have been done or not done. There have been times when I have known that something could have been done but it has been stopped because someone else has demanded that things be done differently. 

All too often that someone else will be a person who has somehow managed to get their name out there in the news media. Their opinion will be sought - even over matters they know nothing about. Their words are used. People listen to these "free speech" speakers and believe they have some sort of inside information or that they are better informed. 

And yes, sometimes the politician is no better informed but they are expected to know, to have an opinion about everything. It's an impossible sort of job.

My previous local member was a man who made a decision which went completely against the democratic process. He claimed it was to "ensure stability" in government although it was really a matter of switching allegiance to the opposition and gaining a ministerial position for himself. It was wrong and when we saw each other in the street one day he asked, "You don't like me very much do you? Is that why you wouldn't help when J.... asked?" (J.... was his secretary at the time.)  My response was, "I don't like what you have done. The other matter had nothing to do with that." I explained why and I think he was surprised. He was still my local member and, as such, I had to work with him when I could. And yes, he worked hard enough although he was never going to be re-elected. 

But I have yet to meet a politician who belongs to the "Drinking and Partying" party.